Railroad Conductor
Salary

Men make up the majority of Railroad Conductors in the United States, and the nationwide average salary in this area lies in the neighborhood of $54K annually. This group's pay is mainly influenced by the particular firm, followed by tenure and geographic location. The majority of workers are highly satisfied with their job. Medical benefits are awarded to nearly all, and most earn dental coverage. This report is based on answers to PayScale's salary questionnaire.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

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Job Description for Railroad Conductor

While some who recall the "golden era of train travel" believe that a train conductor simply walks the aisles and punches tickets, the reality is that this job has morphed considerably over time. Today’s train conductors do hard, heavy work in all weather conditions and at all hours of the day and night. Essentially, they are responsible for making sure that trains operate as efficiently as possible, no matter what could go wrong.

Most train conductors start out as conductor trainees who work on-call hours and have no predictable schedule. While they are generally required to hold a high school diploma or GED, they learn the vast majority of their work through training provided by their employer. The ability to lift 80 pounds is an absolute requirement, for example, since this is the weight of the often-replaced knuckles which connect train cars to one another.

Of course, railroad conductors are required to travel extensively. Training is generally carried out in one location, while the conductor may be based in another location. Despite this, a conductor may have to travel extensively to go where the company needs him. Those in this position are generally not guaranteed a minimum number of hours, though they are compensated at a very high rate per-hour. Once fully-fledged, they can get as much as five weeks of paid vacation per year.

A somewhat unique requirement of this and other railroad jobs is to join the railroad labor union, and they are expected to remain members for as long as they're employed in the industry.

Railroad Conductor Tasks

Communicate train and rail movement or switches with crew.

Operate track switches, inspect, couple and un-couple rail cars.

Coordinate movement of trains and rail cars.

Maintain accurate, clear documentation of train movement.

Railroad Conductor Job Listings

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Popular Employer Salaries for Railroad Conductor

CSX Corp, Norfolk Southern Corporation, BNSF Railway Company, Union Pacific Railroad, and Genesee and Wyoming Inc. are all popular places to work. Although BNSF Railway Company boasts the highest average salary in town at $75K, employee compensation still varies greatly — workers can make as little as $53K or as much as $119K.

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Pay by Experience Level for Railroad Conductor

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

For Railroad Conductors, experience does not seem to be a major factor in determining pay. The average beginner in this position makes around $48K, but folks who have been around for five to 10 years see a markedly higher median salary of $61K. For Railroad Conductors, 10 to 20 years of experience on the job amounts to an average salary of $69K. Veterans who have surpassed the 20-year mark may make only slightly more than those who are navigating the mid-career stage; the more senior group reports median earnings of around $71K.